Silvino Gonzlez Morales

a.k.a. Yourmung

Artists statement

I begun my life as a photographer a bit late, after my struggle to find myself in engi-
neering I finally decided to follow my dad's foot prints and decided to pursuit my love
for photography.

For me my career as a graphic designer, but specially photography are my way to keep
my bipolar condition under control, my peronal treatment and many of my works are
deeply influenced by my changing and contradicting mood states.

But was the discover of the "alternative photographic processes" and the influence of
Omaira Abadia what really defined my approach to the photographic art.

I'm a Colombian visual artist and designer my work is focused in find artistic pathways
to melt traditional cultural roots with a global worldwide vision. Right now my goal is
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to experiment with mixtures between classical (analogical) and digital techniques of
representation, capture and print of images; trying to find a personal way to express
my vision and feelings about a lot of topics.

My main theme is the city: it landscape, it struggles, it stigmas, it inhabitants, it outsid-

ers. the city as an extension of the humans and its relationships are an extension in
direct relationship with the city. I live in a city which is a mixture of so many elements
and factors, a destination for thousands of people running from 40years of warfare, a
place to live, learn, dream and suffer. A city destroyed and rebuild, full of people giving
the best to build and rebuild their own dreams and lives. But above all of it a city full of
hope and hard work.

I try to reflect in my work my concerns about my role like a man and an artist in a
process between traditions and preconceptions and more post modern perceptions
about my self, my sexuality, my place and my future.

Between traditions, rituals, history and a little dose of nihilism and a hedonistic search I
try to find equilibrium. I'm a bipolar person, my work is a catharsis, and a declaration of
pride about my condition; my art pieces try to talk about my country, our wars, our
pain, our dreams, our cultural melting pot and our never ending search of meaning.

The other ever present theme in my work is the concept of role as a cultural creation
which have little relationship with the human beings and it's the fruit of powers in
some specifict space and time.

I don't believe I create photographs, instead I think I build images using photography
medium and techniques as a part of the process of give material sense to concepts
and ideas. I deeply admire to the artists who are able to capture meaningful instants
and freeze it in time, as a watcher I enjoy it so much. But as a creator, I see myself more
like an artisan, like a designer who play with ideas, thoughts, cultural values and
presures; who try to balance tensions, tones, shapes in the pursuit of visual pieces that
are maybe photographic in it's deep nature but that are beyond the act of capture
alone.

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